The opening scene of Seven establishes a sense of confusion, disorientation, and fear through various techniques. Shots are shown in low light making them indistinguishable, mirroring the detective's future state of mind. Interspersed are extreme close-ups of a razor blade and flashes of injured people, foreshadowing the violence to come. Deteriorating background music adds to the fear and could reflect the deterioration of the killer and detective's mental states. The character appears to be making a scrapbook that becomes an important element, suggesting an obsession. Low lighting casts long, ominous shadows that convey negativity and horror.

1. EmilyMorris – Pre production
Film Analysis – Seven (1995) Directed by David Fincher
The filmopenswith several shotsof differentimagesinlow lightwhichare all quite indistinguishable
whichautomaticallycreatesasense of confusionwithinthe audience.The feelof confusion creates
an atmosphere of disorientationwhich couldalsoactas a foreshadowingtechnique bymirroringthe
detective’sconfusionanddisorientationwhentryingtosolve the murderslaterinthe film. Thisis
thencoupledwiththe eerie,slowmusicthatplaysoverthe topand addsto the confusionfromthe
firstfewshotsto create a sense of fear.The nextfew shotsare extreme close upsof a razor blade
whichishighlyindicativeof violence andactsas a device toforeshadow the violencetocome inthe
film(acommonfeature of the psychological thrillergenre).
Interspersedthroughouttheseshotsthere’sareallyquickshotof adead/injuredpersonwhich
reflectsthe deaththatisto come.With deathbeingacommonfeature in psychological thrillers,
flashesof imagessuchasthisthroughoutthe opening scene are veryfittingwiththe genre and
create a real sense of mysteryandfear.
By thispoint,the backgroundmusichasdeterioratedintovarioussoundeffectswhichactas a really
effectivedevice toaddto the fear.Also,the deteriorationof the musiccouldmirrorthe
deteriorationof the murderer’saswell asthe detective’smental state throughoutthe filmwhich,
again,isa verycommonelementof thisgenre.
The character who isfeaturedinthisscene alsoseemstobe creatingsome sortof scrapbookand
the cameras deepfocusuponthisscrapbook shownthroughclose upshotsof it suggeststhatthe
character show inin thisscene couldbe obsessedwithitandthatit’san importantelementtothe
filmitself.
The lightinginthisscene isverylowwhichcastslotsof long,ominousshadowsacrossthe shots
which,again,addsto the fearfactor because the darknesscreatedinthese shadowshas
connotationsof negativityandhorror.
I reallylike the use of the flashingshotsandimagesthroughoutthisscene because Ifeelthatit
providesthe filmwithalotof atmosphere. Also,Ilike how the audience are completelykeptinthe
dark aboutwhat’shappeningandare made to feel disorientatedandscaredbythe shots. I would
like toincorporate these techniquesintomyfilm.